Chubby Hubby
by Etaleah
Summary: Everyone who knew Ryo knew that as a child, he was the same serious, hardworking person they knew today. Except for one small detail.


**Set post-GX, probably not long after season four. **

"And this is me at Samejima's dojo, where I learned about the cyber legacy," Ryo explained, handing the photo to Fubuki. Fubuki took it from him and stared at it, eyes widening considerably. Photos of Ryo's childhood, or any photos of Ryo, were rare, as he disliked posing for pictures and disliked smiling even more. Despite this, he and Fubuki were surrounded by a sea of photos from both their childhoods that they were attempting to organize into a scrapbook or album of some kind. Unfortunately, what had started out as an attempt to clean out their closets had turned into a trip down memory lane, as is often the case when sorting through old photos.

Fubuki giggled. Ryo frowned. "What's so funny?" he asked. Fubuki answered him with another giggle while continuing to stare at the photo. Ryo glanced curiously over his shoulder, wondering if there was something in the picture he'd missed, like a funny face in the background or someone giving him bunny ears. But there was nothing, just Ryo standing in the center of the photo looking serious and determined. Which apparently Fubuki found hilarious, because his giggling had advanced into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"Fubuki, what is so funny?" Ryo demanded Fubuki took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down enough to talk, then looked back at the photo and burst out laughing again.

"I'm serious! What are you laughing about?"

"Y-you!" Fubuki cried happily between gasps for breath.

"What about me? It's just a picture of me at the dojo when I was about nine years old. What's so funny about that?"

Fubuki sat up and wiped a tear away from his eyes, grinning a mile wide. He slapped an arm around Ryo's shoulders and squeezed hard.

"Oh, Ryo. Ryo, Ryo, Ryo," Fubuki muttered, shaking his head while continuing to smile.

"Yes?" Ryo asked impatiently.

"Ryo, there's no nice way to say this, so I'll just be blunt. You were one fat kid."

Ryo drew back, startled. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. But then he narrowed his eyes indignantly as he digested what Fubuki had said. "I am not fat, Fubuki."

"Not anymore, but back then…you were chubby."

Ryo's eyes shifted from indignant to angry. "I have not, nor have I ever been, fat or 'chubby,'" he replied as calmly as he could.

"Ryo, look at yourself!" Fubuki gestured frantically towards the photo. "Look at those cheeks!"

"It's just baby fat," Ryo said defensively. "All children have that."

"At nine years old? I don't think so. You saw those pictures of me and Asuka from when we were nine and we were way skinnier than you. Even Shou's cheeks were smaller than yours!"

"Think what you want, Fubuki," Ryo muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You really can't deny it, Ryo. And look at your legs, they're huge!"

"I was wearing the dojo uniform, and the legs are extra baggy to allow room for movement. Samejima's pants made him look big too."

"Okay, I'll give you that one, but still, you were pretty big around the hips and waist, and those cheeks…Ryo, what did you eat that gave you such a chipmunk face?"

"Enough," Ryo said sharply. "Just put the picture with the others and move on."

"Whatever you say, tubster."

"Fubuki!"

"No need to shout, Roly-Poly."

"I mean it! Stop!"

"Sure thing, pudgy-wudgy." That last one earned Fubuki a smack upside the head. Ryo snatched the photo away from him and shoved it to the bottom of the pile.

"Aw, come on Ryo, lighten up," Fubuki pleaded, massaging the side of his head.

"I will as soon as you stop calling me those insulting names."

"Well fine, jeez. It's not my fault your parents never put you on weight watchers."

"They didn't need to because I wasn't fat," Ryo growled in a dangerous undertone.

"Speaking of fat, why don't you roll on over to the kitchen and get us some daifuku?" Fubuki asked, giggling in spite of getting smacked by Ryo again, this time on the cheek. The former kaiser shoved the photos to the side and angrily stalked out of the room. He was soon followed by a sheepish Fubuki.

Fubuki put his hand on Ryo's shoulder, which he immediately shrugged off. Fubuki sighed. "I'm sorry, Ryo. You know I didn't mean it."

"Mm." Ryo didn't turn around.

"Seriously, you were a cool kid back then. And you're a cool guy now. I was just having some fun."

Ryo murmured something that vaguely sounded like he accepted Fubuki's apology. "I just have to ask you one thing," he said, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"What?" Ryo snapped.

"Well, Samejima was the one who ran the whole thing, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"He's kind of a big guy, isn't he?"

"I suppose," Ryo replied cautiously, not liking where the conversation was going.

"That being the case, was that really a dojo for the cyber legacy or was it fat camp?"

**AN: Ryo's response had to be censored. ;) But seriously, am I the only one who thinks chibi Ryo is fat in the anime? In the manga, he's cute as can be, but in the anime…he really is kinda on the heavy side (especially from a side view) and not very attractive either. Plus they gave him a stupid voice in the English version; he sounds like a rich brat. I just thought it would be funny if that cyber dojo was actually a camp for people who are overweight! It would certainly explain why Samejima was there. Oh, the things my brain comes up with. **


End file.
